They’re firing brat salvos at us and folks, it’s not pretty. Milwaukee is about 90 minutes away from Chicago, and its very own food and entertainment spectacular, Summerfest, is running the same time as our food and entertainment spectacular, Taste of Chicago. We’ll leave the eats to our At Play brethren (in the Tribune on Thursdays) and turn our ears to the cultural side of the equation.
Taste of Chicago has a lot going for it — first and foremost that it’s free. Summerfest daily admission prices range from $3-$15. (Multi-day passes cost more.) Both events have lots of food and lots of music, and with almost identical shoulder afro factors. Summerfest has better brats. Duh. But if you’re looking to rock your world, should you stay home or hop in the car for a visit to Milwaukee?
The shootout begins now.
Milwaukee Summerfest
When: Through July 8
Where: 200 N. Harbor Drive, Milwaukee
Price: $3-$15 (two and three-day passes also available); www.summerfest.com or Ticketmaster
Taste of Chicago
When: Through July 8
Where: Grant Park, Jackson Boulevard and Columbus Drive
Price: Free (for music); 312-744-3315 www.tasteofchicago.us
FRIDAY
Chicago
The home team has put all of its eggs in one basket with R&B veterans Maze featuring Frankie Beverly, headlining on the Petrillo Music Shell main stage. The rest of the day’s schedule at the various Taste stages (International Pavilion, Illinois Lottery Taste Stage) features the sorts of bands that mostly brim with adequacy. You aren’t unhappy you heard them, but …
Milwaukee
Four different stages the headliners are Blue Oyster Cult, Fuel, Sugarland and Def Leppard with Foreigner and Styx on the Marcus Amphitheater main stage. Then there’s Sum 41 and The Cliks. Whoa. This round has to go to Summerfest. Even though the classic rockers have already been through Chicago, the lineups on the other stages push Milwaukee over the top. Right. Gas prices are high, and Wisconsin-bound Friday traffic is brutal. Our condolences.
SATURDAY
Chicago
Saving the day for the home crew is the Chicago Country Music Festival, a focused two-day event. After the Kenny Rogers look-alike contest, you get the actual Kenny Rogers. But you can have more fun on the Illinois Lottery Taste Stage, with the honky-tonkin’ Hoyle Brothers, followed by Robbie Fulks.
Milwaukee
Lindsey Buckingham, The Fray with OK Go and the Goo Goo Dolls. Rock fans who missed those acts when they came through Chicago earlier this year will have no compunctions about driving up to cheeseland for an evening. And for $10? Madness. You can wait to see Sara Evans for free in Chicago on Sunday.
TASTE OF CHICAGO vs. SUMMERFEST
Battle of the bandshells
Here you are, music fans … in this corner, the Taste of Chicago. In the other corner, Milwaukee Summerfest. The battle is on for cultural supremacy, and both festivals end July 8. For the coming week, should you be hopping public transit to Grant Park, or riding the rails or your vehicle toward Milwaukee? Continued from the cover…
SUNDAY
BEST BET!
TASTE OF CHICAGO The comeback begins. You get to see country diva Sara Evans for free, and Craig Morgan is no slouch, either. This is the last day of the Country Music Festival, and the homeboys are throwing some for-real body blows.
SUMMERFEST
George Thorogood? We think not. Big & Rich are compelling, but we’ll take Sara in Chicago. Yes, there’s Ludacris with Chris Brown and Ciara on one stage, and Built to Spill on another. We still like our twang, though.
MONDAY
BEST BET!
TASTE OF CHICAGO
Broadway in Chicago is all we have to say. We don’t care what’s happening up in Milwaukee, because casts from bona-fide monster hits “Wicked” and “The Color Purple” are linking with the Chicago Children’s Choir to raise the roof.
SUMMERFEST
Reggae with Femi Kuti? Perhaps memories of those old crushes via Ann and Nancy Wilson’s Heart. Then there’s Roger Waters and Social Distortion, a band still raising sonic Cain. This is very compelling, but no match for Broadway’s star power.
TUESDAY
BEST BET!
TASTE OF CHICAGO
It’s fireworks day, when the Grant Park Symphony Orchestra brings the rawk while stuff blows up overhead. People are already scouting out primo viewing spots for this one. All should bow down in the presence of greatness. Yes, everyone in the Free World will be on the Lakefront, trying to hear and see. So get in line.
SUMMERFEST
WAR, “Weird Al” Yankovic and Buddy Guy? That would be a strong lineup were it not for the aforementioned fact that Chicago will be shooting off anything it can get its hands on. But let’s face it: What it really comes down to is John Mayer versus symphonic bombast and aerial explosions. Even if gas was cheap, we’d be staying home.
WEDNESDAY
BEST BET!
TASTE OF CHICAGO
Hey, look … once again John Mayer. Only he’s free in Grant Park. Neener neener. Robert Randolph and the Family Band never disappoint, and we’re pegging the hipster meter in these here parts with the acoustic, metal-influenced excellence of Rodrigo y Gabriela. The Illinois Lottery stage is even strong, with the Robert Cornelius 7 and Cuban tunes from Hector Silveira y su Orquestra.
SUMMERFEST
This is quite a lineup, with Tool, the Black Crowes and Arrested Development. But really, what has this passel of has-beens done for us lately? Rodrigo y Gabriela could take them with one hand tied behind their respective backs.
THURSDAY
TASTE OF CHICAGO
This is a squeaker. Lyfe Jennings is the opening act, for Musiq Soulchild. The contemporary r&b presence runs strong here, and platinum-selling Jennings will have a huge following for an opening act. But Milwaukee’s star power is difficult to argue with.
SUMMERFEST
BEST BET!
Bon Jovi (left) is one headliner, and even if you want to snicker at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino stage, it has Willy Porter on it. So be quiet. And B.B. King? Were this a softball game, the slaughter rule would have been invoked.
FRIDAY
TIE!
TASTE OF CHICAGO
We’d stay home, frankly. You can’t go out every night now, can you? The Black Crowes has driven south from Milwaukee, and you can see Umphrey’s McGee many a weekend around town.
SUMMERFEST
Daughtry is the big headliner? Morris Day and the Time make an appearance, along with Peter Frampton. Dashboard Confessional is almost enough to drag us out. Maybe if gas were less expensive.
SATURDAY
TASTE OF CHICAGO
It’s ugly. We have Cheap Trick, Soul Asylum and Cracker — all for no money, and you can watch them while eating corn on a stick. Where do we sign up?
SUMMERFEST
BEST BET!
The New Cars and Live? No. Not hardly. But the main stage big shot of Panic! At the Disco is very, very compelling. Maybe if it were just one of the aforementioned Chicago Three. And we’ll take Soul Asylum over Collective Soul any day of the week.
SUNDAY
TASTE OF CHICAGO
The grand finale. Here it is, folks, and we have Los Lonely Boys, in tandem with opening act Brandi Carlile. Um…yay? It’s the last day of Taste, everyone is sated and just wants it all to be over. Too bad about that drive to Milwaukee.
SUMMERFEST
BEST BET!
Summerfest can take a punch, and throw one. Brian McKnight and The Gufs attract, and Lupe Fiasco is on the docket, along with famous for being infamous INXS. Headliners are Toby Keith, with Miranda Lambert. Get me a brat!
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WINNER: TASTE OF CHICAGO
